Basking
by wolfenqueenyuri
Summary: Rumpelstiltskin enjoys a morning in with Regina.


Basking

Rumpelstiltskin typically woke before Regina in the morning, and chose to let his wife sleep in while he spun or brewed potions to get his energy going.

Occasionally, however, he preferred to watch her sleep, content to lie next to her with their bodies still entwined under the sheets.

She always looked so content, and that combined with the warmth of her skin against his often put him in an especially pleasant mood.

The goblin smiled when his sorceress stretched languidly, a peaceful smile tugging at her lips as she slowly opened her eyes and they met his.

"Good morning," he murmured.

"Don't you know it's rude to stare?" she teased, reaching up and toying with the silken, tousled strands of his hair, admiring the glints of gold that appeared due to the cheerful morning light.

"I wasn't staring. I was basking," he protested, curling closer. "It's romantic."

"No…it's creepy," she smirked, though her expression told him she thought otherwise. "But then, a lot of the things you do tend to skew in that direction."

A mock-offended look crossed her husband's face, causing Regina to chuckle and tug him towards her, capturing his lips with hers in a kiss that made up for the insult.

He sighed quietly, twisting in order to recline her back into the pillows, the embrace deepening as they lost themselves momentarily in each other.

Regina was the first to pull back, her chest heaving as she attempted to regain her breath. "So…what's on the agenda for today?"

"Honestly?" his mouth curved into a knowing smile as one hand trailed lazily along her thigh. "I was thinking we'd stay in."

She inhaled shakily, her heart beating wildly at seeing the lust in his dark eyes. "I have no issue with that. The world can function for once without the Dark One's powers."

"Mmm, and Snow White can live to see another day…for now," he chuckled from low in his throat.

Regina laughed softly, amused, and then drew him back to her for another kiss: this one far more passionate than the last.

It never took much for desire to spiral between them. Whether it was the way he bit at the junction of her shoulder or the drag of her nails along his chest, before long, they simply couldn't get enough of each other.

Regina's head fell back when Rumpelstiltskin's mouth travelled down her neck, peppering the slender column with teasing kisses as his hands wandered avidly over the curves of her body.

She retaliated with explorations of her own, her hands sweeping across the lean muscle that made up his torso, delighting in the unusual texture of his skin.

A pleased moan escaped when his lips strayed: lingering over her shoulders, then her breasts, while clever fingers traced along the curve of her hip.

Smiling against her husband's mouth, Regina hooked a leg around his waist and turned the tides, pinning him under her and grinning at the impressed look that crossed his striking features.

Challenge sparked in his eyes and he startled her by sitting up, which caused their limbs to entangle further.

Rumpelstiltskin took a moment to catch his breath, his fingers inching slowly up Regina's spine while he appreciated the lovely image she made at that moment: her lips swollen from his kisses and her skin flushed from passion.

"You're doing it again," she murmured.

"What?"

"Staring."

"Basking," he corrected, before grinning. "And you're one to talk. You're doing the exact same thing."

"Well it's not every day you marry a man that _glows_," she joked, admiring the play of the sunlight on his skin.

"I don't glow," he objected. "When have I ever _glowed_?"

She gave him a look and took his hand, bringing it up to his face for inspection. "You're glowing, Rumpel."

He stared at his hand for a moment, and then muttered: "Well at least you didn't say that I sparkled."

Biting back a laugh at the grumpiness in his tone, Regina leaned forward and pressed her lips to his, which effectively ended any further conversation.

For Regina, the only thing better than making love to Rumpelstiltskin was the time spent with him in the afterglow.

And in this case that was somewhat literal, as she slung a leg over his and traced patterns over his chest while observing the way his skin seemed to shimmer in the light.

"Okay so maybe there's a point to this basking thing."

He laughed sharply. "Ah, so _now _you're starting to see things my way."

She attempted to glare at him, but the expression was difficult to hold when she was also smiling. "Shut up."

"I'd say "make me" but insulting each other is basically foreplay and I'm too exhausted to start another round right now."

Regina snorted with laughter, but nodded against his chest as she curled as close as possible. "Well I agree with you on the exhaustion thing. Besides: it's nice to just lie here."

He draped an arm over her waist to keep her near, and smiled fondly. "Yes…yes it is."

Yawning, Regina merely mumbled something incoherent before drifting off in his arms, and Rumpelstiltskin was more than happy to remain exactly where he was.

The End


End file.
